Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach and current FOX Sports college football analyst Urban Meyer delivered a surprisingly candid response when asked about expectations for new Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin. Rather than offering words of encouragement or advice to the young quarterback, Meyer didn’t hold back. His message was clear and direct: “Hey, don’t screw it up.”
“I hate to say it like this, because you never want your quarterback to play like this … He can’t screw it up,” Meyer said on The Joel Klatt Show. “I’m sure, you know, they got excellent coaches, and Ryan’s an expert quarterback coach, you give them so many easy throws. You don’t need to win this game, Julian, you do not have to do that. You have enough cats around you, so you’re going to see a bunch of screens, I would imagine, to Jeremiah and that crew.
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“You’re going to see a strong run game. You’re going to see easy throws. And you know what? If you don’t, and I would always tell these young quarterbacks, give us two first downs, and your job is accomplished. That’s all you got to do … just your mindset as you go into each drive. Get two first downs, because in games like this, special teams (matters).”
While Meyer may have used questionable language, his point still stands. Sayin will undoubtedly feel the pressure and nerves that come with starting his first college football game—especially against the top-ranked team in the nation in Texas. However, Meyer is correct in saying that Sayin can’t try to win the game with a single throw. He needs to stay composed and approach it one play at a time, one drive at a time.
Many highly touted quarterbacks coming out of high school are so accustomed to dominating that when they finally face real adversity, they struggle to handle it. If Ohio State hopes to come out on top Saturday, Sayin needs to stay within Ryan Day’s game plan and take advantage of the easy throws the defense gives him. The moment young quarterbacks start forcing plays and trying to be the hero is often the moment games like this slip away.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Urban Meyer has honest take on Ohio State QB Julian Sayin expectations
